Puppy love

"Great we're out of food," Holt grumbled.

"We're out of water too," John added.

"I'm going to hunt." They watched as men transformed and hunted in packs. It was the only time they came together without fighting. Xena watched from the hills with her five-year-old charge. She had been careful to avoid the King of Queensland and he hadn't come looking for her. She suspected that no one ever mentioned her to him because they wanted her a natural thing among men.

"How is your wound?" John asked coming up behind Xena. He wasn't surprised when she did not seem surprised by his presence.

"It is fine," Xena answered in a monotone voice.

"I am sorry we had to do this." The little bow began to growl at him as he crouched low. He had long dirty blond hair that sometimes fell into his blue eyes.

"Why are you here?" Xena asked.

"He threatened my life at first my Queen, but than I stayed on to see to it you were properly taken care of. I never once said I approved of this scheme." Xena looked into his eyes and saw that he spoke truth.

"You've ruined your career you know, how can anyone trust you now even if you never wanted this to happen and even though you played a long a little more to see to my well being." He held his head down in shame.

"I know, I should have died for you my Queen like a true Royal healer, but I became a coward and that a long has ruined me. I am not cut out to be such a respected man as my mother is, well woman in her case."

"Your poor mother she must be grieving."

"My biggest regret is that I have dashed all her dreams and hopes for me. She accomplished her own and now by shattering my dream I have shattered her new ones."

"She will grieve more still at my return."

"Why?" John asked very aware of the five-year-old and his sharp teeth. Xena rubbed the boy's back making him relax only slightly.

"When I kill Lord Holt the men, you see down there will attack, I imagine that I could protect you for a few days, but you will soon perish as well."

"I understand and I accept that, that may well be my fate." Xena nodded.

"Go find some water," Xena ordered. John nodded and left. The boy crawled into her lap.

"You like it there don't you?" He nodded with a smile as she rubbed his belly. Xena smiled. He raised up and she let him suckle at her breast to relieve the pressure. Her breasts were huge and it was doing nothing to protect her. They seemed more intrigued with her because she made it a point to cover her body. And it would keep her milk flowing for her daughters. Xena spotted a wolf heading for them and she made him stop to his dismay, but he waited having learned patience around Xena. He placed a leg from the Gazelle they had caught. Xena thought the Gazelle was an interesting animal as they were quick and graceful.

The boy crawled out of her arms as he placed the meat the on the ground and pushed it with his nose towards Xena and licked his mouth. He started growling almost immediately and snapping his teeth. The boy growled back and the wolf snapped closer making him whine and high tail it back to Xena's arms.

"Shh…it's okay." Xena hit his nose and he began to whine and back up a bit. "No you don't growl at him or hurt him." She took the meat he had offered. "Thank you." She and the boy went back to the campfire.

"Where did you get that meat?" Holt asked returning as she ate with the boy. She had to fight off several men before they key their distance or went out to hunt for their own meal. Xena didn't answer him as she ate. Holt growled in anger, and reached for the meat with the intention of taking it from her. But the boy growled and bit his leg.

"Ahhh you damn mutt!" He kicked his leg and Xena immediately caught the boy. Before she could yell at him Holt found himself on the ground with the wolf that had given it to him. He was issuing a challenge to Holt. Holt easily pushed him off his chest and the wolf yelped in pain as he hit the fire.

"You bastard you hurt him." He had a nasty burn and wood in his side. He limped back to his own fire. Xena carried the boy and went after him. Holt satisfied with the results reached for the meat, but the other children had taken the meat and were fighting over furiously.

"Ahh!" He ran after them with his sword, but a wolf was in front of him immediately. He was after all about to attack their young. He backed off and the wolf backed down as well. Xena watched the man change back to his human form and pull out the wood. She used her knowledge as a healer to attempt to save his life.

"Why do you do this, I lost it is my time to die."

"No, its not if I can help it." She gave him a smile to comfort him. He did not know how to smile back so grunted. "What is the boy's name?"

"Llyr, it means a mythical king."

"Why name him that?"

"Old man, name him as next King, says he will be all powerful. We all know that one of us not him will be the next King so we call him Llyr for he is a mythical King. He is weak too." Xena looked at the boy now wrestled with a girl as if he were really a puppy.

"All the same it is a beautiful name, and your name?"

"Cahal."

"Cahal who is Llyr's mother?" Cahal shrugged.

"I do not know what a mother is."

"What about father?"

"What is a father?" Xena sighed. She supposed it was understandable about not knowing who the father was, but what about the mother.

"Okay try this, from whose breast did he suckle as a baby?" Cahal nodded and thought.

"From all the women."

"So no one claims him?"

"Men claim only women as mate, sometimes if they're lucky for life, month, year, or day. No one claims children. Women take care of children make strong warriors, new women."

"Which of the women is in charge?" Xena asked.

"Oldest one."

"What's her name?"

"Women have no name."

"No name?"

"Not important enough for a name," He said with indifference. Xena fell silent.

"Get back over here!" Holt yelled at her. "Stop helping these mutts." Xena finished up.

"How you do get water?"

"Llyr knows, he will show you," Cahal told her as he looked at Llyr who lowered his head, but nodded. After a minute she bid him good afternoon and followed Llyr back to their hill. He dug with both his hands and Xena joined him after a moment and than water poured from the earth. When she did not begin drinking Llyr lowered his head to show her how. Xena went over to a small rock that was hallowed out and used it as a cup to drink. Llyr was intrigued and she showed him how to use it.

"I see you're trying to make that dog civilized." Holt pushed her forcefully out of the water and snatched the cup from Llyr and drank as Llyr growled, but did not attack. He was aware of his size more than anyone knew and he would strike when he could use it to his advantage. He did not have weight on his side.

"Keep pushing it and you'll find yourself bleeding on the ground while wolves tear at your rotting carcass," Xena warned before snatching the rock back. Llyr deliberately kicked dirt into the water and the earth swallowed it back up again leaving Holt with nothing. "Come on Llyr." Llyr followed with a trot of satisfaction. If he had a tail Xena imagined it would be high in the air and the thought made her chuckle.

"Is there somewhere we can get enough water to bath?" Llyr looked at her confused. "How do you get clean?" Llyr looked towards the women and saw that they took their wolf form and cleaned up the children and themselves.

"Okay that's highly not convenient." She felt something licking her leg and she started laughing. She looked down to see Llyr had transformed into a very cute and lovable pup. "No, no stop Llyr that's not your job. Why don't you go get yourself clean." Llyr would not leave her side. When she got back to the camp there were several wolves waiting for her it seemed as their ears perked up at the sight of her. Llyr began to growl expecting the worse.

"Oh no," Xena groaned.